With the complexity of today's computer systems and networks, navigation of these systems, networks and the data they contain is essential to making the experience useful, user friendly and even enjoyable or at least less painful than the next alternative so that the user will continue to use the system, network, etc. This proved true for Apple when it simplified the use of the personal computer with its early graphical user interface (GUI) and mouse-based computers leading to a sales advantage over the then predominant Microsoft DOS based competitors. Similarly, when the Internet started to flourish, users flocked to Netscape's Navigator because of the user friendly interface and better search engine it offered. With the ever increasing complexity of systems and networks whether it be wide area networks (WANs) like the Internet or local area networks (LANs) like typical business entity systems and servers, it remains important to make these systems and the data they contain easy to navigate.
In many industries, it is necessary to manage large volumes of data and provide user friendly access to this data to various managers and analysts. For example, some larger retailers desire to track performance data for every segment of their business from a single product category in an individual store all the way up to the performance of all stores for a multi-store retailer. The growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) and use of more sophisticated or smart retailer systems that track product movement from purchasing, intake, stocking, sale and/or reordering or replenishing of same creates even more complex systems and big data issues that need to be addressed. Some attempts have been made at addressing this issue by providing complex business enterprise platforms, such as Oracle's Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition (“OBIEE”), but these system still lack the flexibility and or convenience that is desired by the entities that use these systems and, thus, are not as user friendly as they could be in order to allow the user to quickly use, study and/or compare this data. For example, conventional systems like OBIEE typically require the user to know the categories of information he or she wants and to drill down on that data, then back out to higher level categories, switch to a different product category, department, store, region, etc. and then begin the process all over again. In other words, such systems usually have a rigid framework and hierarchy structure that the user must follow to access the data they need rather than offering flexibility and convenience to the user to mine the data maintained by the system as they would like.
Accordingly, it has been determined that a need exists for improved systems, apparatus and methods for handling and navigating data and for interfaces utilized with such systems, apparatus and methods.
Elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale or to include all features, options or attachments. For example, the dimensions and/or relative positioning of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. Also, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments of the present invention. Certain actions and/or steps may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required. The terms and expressions used herein have the ordinary technical meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions by persons skilled in the technical field as set forth above except where different specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein.